


Just a Step Away

by RavensRedShadow



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl Dixon & Beth Greene Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:51:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4627695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavensRedShadow/pseuds/RavensRedShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl missed a lot about the prison. A lot of things he wasn't ready to admit to Beth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Step Away

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short little fic that I wrote pretty quickly. A little snippet of Daryl and Beth's time on the road after the prison and their relationship though this is still Rickyl of course. 
> 
> As always I edit this myself so I'm sure I missed something. If I have please let me know!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Daryl didn’t know how long it had been since the prison but it felt like they’d been on the road forever. He felt dead on his feet and he knew Beth did to, though she never once complained.

She was strong, Beth, but even he was getting fed up with scavenging for food and sleeping with nothing but stars over their heads. He’d almost forgotten how hard it was just two people out surviving on their own.

They’d found a house in the middle of the woods, a shack really, and grateful for any roof over their heads they’d claimed it for the night.

He was dead tired but still Daryl couldn’t sleep. Beth had called first watch but after fifteen minutes of trying to get comfortable on the musty couch he’d joined her on the front porch.

Beth was quite beside him but he didn’t mind. He’d never liked talking too much. People never really seemed to say what they really meant. No Daryl preferred actions, they were harder to fake. It was easy to say something but to actually do it – that was another thing entirely.

Beth liked words. She liked to sing and talk to anyone who would listen. Surprisingly Daryl didn’t mind her talking too much. She was unfailingly honest and if he was being honest himself he enjoyed her singing. He never liked the songs much but her voice was crisp and clear and it was nice sometimes when the quite got to be just too much.

“You miss it?” Beth said finally breaking his train of thought, “The prison I mean.”

“Suppose,” he shrugged not really wanting to think about it. Daryl missed a lot about the prison. A lot of things he wasn't ready to admit to Beth.

“I dream about it,” she admitted softly, “and I wake up thinking I’m still there. I think that I hear Judith crying sometimes and I’m halfway up before I realize where I am. And I lay there and I realize that I might never hear any of their voices ever again. That I don’t even know if anyone else is still alive.”

Daryl turned to look at her. She had been so positive, so sure when they’d first gotten out that they weren’t the only ones.

But now she just looked tired.

“I miss them so much sometimes I can’t even move. I think about daddy and I –“ she broke off and turned her head and though she was silent, Daryl was sure she was crying.

He hesitated. Comforting grieving people had never been a strong suit of his. He knew from experience that nothing you could say would change anything. It wouldn’t make you feel any better, not really, so he usually didn’t bother saying anything at all. But he couldn’t stand the way her shoulders were shaking like she was trying to keep it together for his sake.

“I miss ‘em too.” He said awkwardly and she turned back around her eyes wet, “Michonne, Carol, Maggie, Glenn, Rick.” His voice broke on the last name and he coughed as he felt, to his horror, his eyes begin to fill with tears too.

He thought for a moment about the last time he'd seen Rick, in that field with the Governor, and a horrible thought occurred to him - that Rick might still be there. That he might never have gotten away at all. That he might be - 

“If anyone made it out, it would be Rick,” Beth said her eyes suddenly full of conviction again, as if she had read his mind, “he’s still alive, I just know it.”

Daryl nodded. He didn’t know if she was just being brave for him but he didn’t care, her optimism was infectious and he felt a surge of hope at her words. She was right, Rick had to of made it. He was Rick Grimes after all.

It was his secret fantasy that Rick was out there, just a few miles down the road, and that each step he took brought him closer to him. That one day he'd round the bend and there Rick would be, almost like he was waiting for him. They’d see each other and Rick would smile and everything would be alright again.

“I’ll see him again. I’ll find him.” Daryl said almost to himself but of course Beth was right there and she heard his whispered wish.

She smiled at him and tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear.

“Then we’ll just have to keep walking.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still working on my longer fics they're just going very slowly at the moment so as I get inspiration I may just put out some short one shots. Let me know if you liked this one. Stay tuned.
> 
> Also as always please comment even if it's short. It means so much to me to hear what you all think. Thanks!


End file.
